NFL Prospect Michael Sam Comes Out as Gay

Missouri All-American and NFL draft prospect Michael Sam has come out as gay. Sam is expected to be drafted. If he is picked up by an NFL team then he will become the first openly gay NFL player.

Sam sat down for an ESPN interview with Chris Connelly to talk about his decision to come out. He says he told his teammates last August and they were very supportive. He says he was a little scared to tell them even though they already knew. Sam says, "Just to see their reaction was awesome. They supported me from day one."

Sam says he knew he was attracted to men at a young age. He has endured lots of tragedy in his life, including the death of one brother from a gunshot wound. Another brother went missing and was pronounced dead. He has two other brothers in jail. He says, "Telling the world I'm gay is nothing compared to that."

Sam also says, "I understand how big this is. It's a big deal. No one has done this before. And it's kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be ... I want to be a football player in the NFL." Take a look: